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Our nation of weeping executioners:
The religious tribunal of Rev. Jane Adams Spahr
By Jim Rigby / The Rag Blog / February 23, 2011
Rev. Jim Rigby, human rights activist and pastor at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, will be Thorne Dreyer's guest on Rag Radio, Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, 2-3 p.m. (CST), on KOOP 91.7 FM in Austin. To stream Rag Radio live on the internet, go here. To listen to this interview after it is broadcast — and to other shows on the Rag Radio archives — go here.
A recent Los Angeles Times profile of Rev. Jane Adams Spahr wonderfully captured the loving spirit of one of my few heroes in the Presbyterian Church. This courageous lesbian minister has fought prejudice and fear within our denomination, refusing to surrender to voices of intolerance within the church.
The article also captured the sense of helplessness which threatens to unravel not only the Presbyterian system of democratic government, but, possibly, our nation's as well.
The Times reporter noted that at Rev. Spahr's third trial, a religious tribunal found her guilty of violating the Presbyterian constitution because she conducted same-sex marriage ceremonies. The story explains:
But then several of [the tribunal] members apologized to Spahr, and their decision admonished not the faithful minister but the faith itself. "We call upon the church to reexamine our own fear and ignorance that continues to reject the inclusiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," panel members wrote while finding Spahr guilty in Napa last August. "We as a church need to be able to respond to… reality as Dr. Jane Spahr has done with faithfulness and compassion."
In other words, the liberal members of the church court agreed with Rev. Spahr's theology and practice but found her guilty anyway, apparently unable to step out of a system they themselves described as unjust.
Some of the committee wept as they read their verdict which reminded me of a term coined by Walt Herbert, emeritus professor of English at Southwestern University. Dr. Herbert used the term, "weeping executioners" to describe those who express concern for the oppressed, but will not leave their place in the hierarchy of that oppression.
Democracy demands a rare courage and sense of personal responsibility. The Presbyterian denomination originally began as an attempt at a democratic form of church government. Some in England called the American Revolution "that Presbyterian rebellion" because that denomination inspired much of the democratic structure of American government and some of its revolutionary spirit.
The Presbyterian idea of democracy was not mob rule. It emphasized personal responsibility over and against any human group. The Westminster Confession of Faith went so far as to forbid surrendering one's conscience to any human council. The refusal to surrender responsibility applied to national as well as church governments. Needless to say, that revolutionary spark now lies buried under centuries of accumulated ash.
For many years, Janie Spahr has been a much needed thorn in the side of the Presbyterian Church, charging us to give every person their full human rights. Rev. Spahr was already married and ordained when she finally faced the reality that she was attracted to other women. Her husband Jimmy was fully supportive and they divorced amicably. At that point, she was an out lesbian Presbyterian pastor.
Because the issue of homosexuality had not been dealt with yet, there wasn't a provision to strip her of ordination. She was denied a position as a pastor of a church but became the "lesbian evangelist" of the Presbyterian Church, ministering to all those rejected by the church. She became gay and lesbian Presbyterians' best hope, and homophobic Presbyterians' worst nightmare.
In August 2010, a judicial committee of the Presbyterian Church convicted Rev. Spahr of marrying 11 same sex couples. I went to the trial to observe and to express my support for Rev. Spahr. The day before the verdict was announced members of the judicial committee spoke about the need for inclusivity and for justice. The moderator read a verse from James Russell Lowell's prophetic poem, "Once to Every Soul and Nation." He promised that the verdict would be in the spirit of the poem. As soon as I got back to a computer I printed out the whole poem and read these stanzas (modified a bit to remove sexist language):
Once to every soul and nation, comes the moment to decide.
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight.
And that choice goes by forever twixt that darkness and that light.Then it is the brave soul chooses while the coward stands aside.
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.
New occasions teach new duties. Time makes ancient good uncouth.
They must upward still and onward who would keep abreast of truth.
Looking at those noble words, I was certain the committee would find the courage to oppose rules they themselves said were discriminatory. I showed the lines to my gay and lesbian friends at the trial and said assuredly, "they are going to do something prophetic."
When their guilty verdict was read, some of the judicial committee wept. They agreed that the church's discrimination against gay and lesbian persons was wrong, but because of earlier rulings by church courts, they felt they had no choice but to convict her.
One woman from the judicial committee stood crying and said to the 11 same-sex couples, "We want you to know how hard this was for us." Another member of the committee said, choking back sobs, "We want you to know… that we love you."
When those words were spoken, a muted but profound groan crept through the room. The dagger of condemnation wrapped in bandages of deedless compassion cut deeper than any words of hate. Once again, the gospel of kindness had been betrayed with a kiss.
I looked around at all the beautiful people from the gay and lesbian community who had accepted me into their families. One of my lesbian friends collapsed in her chair. A gay couple embraced, staring vacuously forward, both of their shirts wet with tears.
The committee seemed genuinely surprised by the response. One of the committee members confided afterward that they had given Rev. Spahr grounds for appeal "served on a platter." That "gift" was, of course, based on the premise that someone else down the line would be braver than they.
Most democracies are born out of revolution and begin to die on the day they choose tradition over their own revolutionary principles. Nothing is more perilous than the human tendency to grow conservative in times of great transition. Because life is change, sanity is not an unchanging state, but a commitment to change by certain standards.
The revolutionary "soul" of democracy is not submission to the will of the majority, but the conviction that every human being has certain inalienable rights that cannot be put up for a vote. When a majority deprives the minority of inalienable rights, every decent citizen must be willing to leave the majority and stand with the minority.
When citizens in a democracy feel their only power is to vote for candidates who then tell them what to do, they have forgotten what liberty means. They become beasts of burden who think they are free if they can vote on who rides them.
Democracy demands an active courage. Unless citizens are brave enough to follow its principles in times of crisis, democracy loses its sinew and dies. Issues like immigration and gay marriage test whether our nation will follow living principles into new understandings, or perish repeating the comfortable wisdoms of the dead.
Martin Luther King wrote a letter from the Birmingham Jail to his own weeping executioners to say "justice delayed is justice denied." Later, he also wrote the following call to courage:
I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren't fit to live. You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.
You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You're afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you're afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.
Well, you may go on and live until you are 90, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at 90. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. You died when you refused to stand up for right. You died when you refused to stand up for truth. You died when you refused to stand up for justice.
James Russell Lowell is still right: "Once to every soul and nation comes the moment to decide." Issues like immigration and gay marriage force us to choose between our principles and our traditions. We will not get these moments back. If we choose tradition over our revolutionary principles, democracy will surely die. Our ship of state will be a vessel that is all anchor and no sail.
Furthermore, if we do not stop surrendering our human agency to hierarchical systems of power, we are doomed to either being the sacrificial victims of that system, or of being its "weeping executioners." Such is my denomination. Such is our beloved nation.
What would it look like to step out of the system? I saw that as well. One night, during the week of the trial, the 11 couples met for an evening service. Each couple came forward to light a candle to honor the love that held their family together. Janie Spahr's partner got up to light a candle and looked out for Janie to come join her.
My eyes filled with tears as Janie's ex-husband Jimmy got up to stand beside them to honor their love. Then his wife got up to stand beside them as well. Finally, the children of Jane and Jimmy got up to stand beside them.. When I saw that beautiful family I knew I was seeing the world that Isaiah was talking about when he said the human beings rejected by religion and by nations have become the foundation of a new humanity. Humanity's new cathedral will be built with the shattered stones of unjust nations and unkind religions.
Leaving our role in the hierarchy of oppression is really as simple as giving others every right we claim for ourselves, and ceasing to work for justice within the parameters of unjust systems. We have become like ants who built bridges out of our own bodies and now consider those bridges more real than ourselves.
And it is as simple as Einstein's charge that we should remember our humanity and forget the rest. At some point, if you will not disobey an unjust law, you are not working within the system to dismantle oppression, you are the oppression.
[Jim Rigby is a human rights activist and the pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin. He is a member of the board of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. He can be reached at email@example.com. This article was originally posted to Faith and Reason and to CommonDreams.]


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Powell, Joseph | |
WATTIAUX, M - University Of Wisconsin | |
Rotz, Clarence - Al |
Submitted to: International Conference on Greenhouse Gasses and Animal Agriculture
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2013 Publication Date: 6/23/2013 Citation: Powell, J.M., Wattiaux, M.A., Rotz, C.A. 2013. Estimating ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from dairy farms using milk urea nitrogen. International Conference on Greenhouse Gasses and Animal Agriculture. 7(2):276. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Dairy farms emit ammonia (NH3) from barns, manure storage, and soils, which can be hazardous to human and ecosystem health. Emissions of NH3 also contribute indirectly to emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. Direct N2O emissions occur mostly from soil after application of fertilizer, manure, and other nitrogen (N) sources. Urinary urea N (UUN), the most labile N component of manure, is a principal N source of both NH3 and N2O emissions from dairy farms. The type and amount of crude protein (CP) fed to a dairy cow impacts UUN excretion and therefore NH3 and N2O emissions. Our recent analyses showed that the relationship between milk urea N (MUN) and UUN can be used to predict relative NH3 emissions from dairy barns. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using MUN to estimate direct and indirect N2O emissions from dairy farms in Wisconsin (WI), USA. MUN records (37,889 cows; 197 herds in WI) over 2 years (2010-11) from the database of AgSource were partitioned into five MUN categories: =10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and >16 mg/dL. UUN excretion (g/cow/day) was calculated from the equation UUN = MUN *16.23-34.2 (R2=0.79) derived from 9 lactation trials (37 dietary treatments) conducted in WI. UUN loss as NH3 and direct N2O loss from barns, manure storage, and soils were calculated for dairy farms having free stall barns, tie stall barns, and pasture-based farms using the Integrated Farm System Model, and indirect N2O-N emissions were estimated to be 1% of NH3-N emissions according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Approximately 23, 24, 23, 16 and 14% of all cows had MUN concentrations (mg/dL) of =10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and >16, respectively. Given that a MUN level of 10 mg/dL reflects adequate dietary CP for high milk production, these MUN frequency results suggest that about 77% of the surveyed cows consumed dietary CP in excess of requirement. Percentage UUN loss as NH3-N ranged from 40% (pasture-based farms) to 84% (tie-stall farms using stacked manure storage). Percentage UUN loss as direct N2O-N ranged from 1.4% when manure was hauled daily on either free stall or tie stall farms to 3.7% from pasture-based farms. Whole farm (barn, manure storage and land application) NH3-N losses (g/cow/day) were lowest (range of 61 for pasture-based to 86 for free stall) at MUN levels of 10 mg/dL and highest (107 for pasture-based to 172 for tie stall) at MUN levels of 16 mg/dL. Relationships between MUN and total (direct plus indirect) N2O loss (g/cow/day) were similar, but varied by production system: lowest (3.1 from tie stall to 5.0 from pasture-based) at MUN levels of 10 mg/dL and highest (5.5 from tie stall to 8.8 from pasture-based) at MUN levels of 16 mg/dL. Using the approximate proportion of WI dairy cows on free stall farms (50%), tie stall farms (40%) and pasture-based farms (10%), each decrease of 1 mg/dL in MUN in the range of 16 to 11 mg/dL would result in state-wide decreases in total N emission of approximately 12%, or 15 g of NH3-N plus N2O-N/cow/day. Each unit decrease in MUN can be achieved by reducing dietary CP concentrations by approximately 6 g/kg DMI. Substantial reductions in NH3 and N2O emissions from dairy farms can be obtained through manipulation of dietary CP, which can be monitored and adjusted using MUN. |

subset: commoncrawl


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The Sun and the Solar Atmosphere
What are the "parts" of the Sun? The photosphere, the visible "surface" of the Sun, defines the outermost boundary of the "inside" of the Sun. The three main regions of the solar interior are the core, the radiative zone, and the uppermost convective zone. The solar atmosphere includes the chromosphere and the extensive corona. The Sun's atmosphere, in the form of the solar wind and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), extends outward into interplanetary space. In a sense, the Sun's atmosphere actually fills the heliosphere, the vast "bubble" in space extending well beyond Pluto where the influence of particles from the Sun dominates the influence of the matter that makes up interstellar space.
What features and phenomena on the Sun can we observe? The Sun is dynamic and constantly changing. Regions of intertwined magnetic fields arise in the solar interior and give rise to active regions, sunspots, and coronal holes at the Sun's visible surface. Fountains of electrified plasma shoot forth from the photosphere and give rise to prominences, helmet streamers, and spicules. Tremendous explosions on the Sun, solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), hurl radiation and energized subatomic particles outward into space.
The solar wind is an extension of the Sun's atmosphere into interplanetary space. This supersonic flow of plasma continuously carries matter and energy outward. The IMF, embedded within the solar wind, carries the Sun's magnetic force field outward through the Solar System. Interactions between the solar wind and the magnetospheres, atmospheres, and in some cases the surfaces of planets influence the evolution of planets and their atmospheres.
Though we take the constancy of our Sun for granted, Sol is a dynamic entity. Vast explosions, flares and CMEs, alter the Sun's radiation and solar wind over time scales from minutes to hours to days. The 11-year sunspot cycle beats out a longer term cadence as the level of solar activity rises and recedes. Studies of Sun-like stars of various ages have helped us learn about our Sun's wild youth and the changes in activity to expect throughout a star's lifetime.


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Generics saved U.S. $1 trillion in 9 years
A trillion of anything is difficult to wrap one's head around, whether it's the number of grains of sand on a beach or stars in the sky. It's so much easier for the human mind to look at such a quantity as the sum of its parts rather than on the basis of its individual components.
With more than $1 trillion in savings on generic drugs, it's important to look at what such a number comprises just to realize how important it really is. According to a study released last month by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, that's how much money the country saved thanks to the use of generic drugs between 2002 and 2011. That translates into $1 billion every other day, and almost $193 billion in 2011 alone.
"There's been significant cost savings for the U.S. pharmaceutical market due to the adoption of generics," IMS Health VP industry relations Doug Long told Drug Store News. "So that's been good for pharmacy; it's been good for wholesalers; it's good for the payers. It's rather difficult for the brands, but I think that the brands will really succeed based on innovation."
The study, commissioned by the GPhA and conducted by IMS Health's research division, also found that 2011 had the highest year-over-year increase in savings from generics since 1998, as savings increased 22%, compared with 2010. Savings from generics that have entered the market since 2002 have increased as well, totaling $481 billion over the decade. Nearly 80% of the 4 billion prescriptions written in 2011 were for generics, while accounting for only 27% of drug spending.
What makes the $1 trillion figure particularly significant is how it figures into national healthcare spending overall. According to the most recent National Health Expenditure Accounts report by the government, total healthcare spending reached $2.6 trillion in 2010, or $8,402 per person and about 18% of the country's gross domestic product. The federal government financed 29% of the total, and state and local governments financed another 16%. By contrast, the federal government financed about 23% of the total in 2007. The NHEA also projected that the average growth in annual healthcare spending will hit 6.2% through 2018, even as the overall economy grows 4.1%. By that year, healthcare spending will be $4.4 billion, more than one-fifth of the country's GDP, reaching half the country's GDP within 15 years.
According to the report, of the total $1.07 trillion in savings, $588 billion came from generic drugs that were already on the market and had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration before 2002, while $481 billion came from newly introduced generic versions of branded drugs, which have been steadily rising over the past several years.
In 2011, the largest percentage of savings, 57%, came from central nervous system and cardiovascular drugs, which together delivered more than $100 billion in total savings. Generics for central nervous system indications themselves grew 10% in savings in 2011 compared with 2010. Metabolism drugs reduced costs by a further $27 billion, representing 500% growth in savings since 2002. Together, the three categories accounted for almost three-fourths of savings from generic drugs in 2011. The biggest increase in year-over-year savings came from generic cancer drugs, which produced $10 in savings in 2011, compared with $3 billion in 2010.
"This is the first time the 10-year number has been more than a trillion dollars," Long said. "2012 being a bigger generic year than 2011, you're going to see a big jump next year."


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HYDERABAD, India (AP) -- An explosion in a state-owned steel plant in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has killed at least 11 people, police said Thursday.
At least 16 other workers suffered serious burns in the blast and a massive fire that broke out late Wednesday in the plant in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, said Police Commissioner Purnachandra Rao.
The explosion occurred when workers were checking a newly installed oxygen unit in the steel melting unit of the Vizag Steel plant.
Nearly 30 workers and top plant officials were inspecting the equipment when the blast occurred.
Witnesses said the explosion was so powerful that cars parked outside the unit were flung in the air.
The death toll was expected to rise because the condition of some of the injured was critical, Rao said.
The 41-year-old Vizag Steel plant is one of India's major steel producers.
The plant has been expanding over the past four years, with the addition of new units that were expected to nearly double its current capacity of 3.5 million tons.


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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Austin Reaves helped No. 12 Oklahoma pull off an impressive win on the road.
Reaves scored four of his 28 points in the final minute of the second overtime and the Sooners held off No. 14 West Virginia 91-90 on Saturday.
Oklahoma (13-5, 8-4 Big 12) squeaked out a win 1,000 miles from home after losing three of its last four games on the road.
"Just a heck of a ballgame," coach Lon Kruger said. "There wasn't much margin either way throughout. Guys on both teams were fighting like crazy, making big-time plays, big-time stops."
The Sooners couldn't hold on to a 66-57 lead with six minutes left in regulation and had to depend on Reaves to pull this one out.
Reaves went 10 of 20 from the floor in his second game back since missing two games while in COVID-19 protocols. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists.
"Austin's a big-time competitor," Kruger said. "He wants the ball in late-game situations. He doesn't shy away from anything."
Derek Culver had his 10th double-double of the season with a career-high 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Mountaineers (14-6, 7-4). He had averaged 6.5 points in six previous games against the Sooners.
"Culver's a tough matchup," Kruger said. "He's so physical."
Culver scored seven points in the second overtime to put West Virginia ahead 88-85 with 2:12 left. De'Vion Harmon's layup and two free throws by Reaves gave the Sooners the lead before Miles McBride's layup with 41 seconds left put the Mountaineers up 90-89.
Reaves capped the scoring with a floater in the lane over McBride with 27 seconds left. The shot "felt good, but there was still time on the clock and we had to get a stop and a rebound," he said.
There certainly was plenty of drama left.
Culver's layup attempt with 7 seconds left was blocked by Oklahoma's Kur Kuath and the ball went out of bounds back to the Sooners. West Virginia got it right back on a tie-up during the ensuing inbounds pass.
After the ball went out of bounds again and West Virginia kept possession, McBride lofted a pass underneath the basket to Culver. But Culver missed a pair of rushed shots in a crowd as time ran out.
West Virginia's three-game winning streak came to an end. The Mountaineers made just 7 of 24 3-pointers (29%) and 11 of 21 free throws (52%).
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said his players were tired after returning late from a win at No. 7 Texas Tech on Tuesday and never fully regained their focus and concentration.
"We have to play with an edge, and we didn't," Huggins said.
West Virginia's Sean McNeil added 21 points, all after halftime, and McBride scored 19.
Umoja Gibson added 21 points for the Sooners. Harmon scored 13, Elijah Harkless had 12 and Brady Manek 11.
Oklahoma: The Sooners have won seven of their last eight games, including five against ranked opponents.
West Virginia: Since big man Oscar Tshiebwe left the team on Jan. 1, West Virginia has gone 6-4 but still holds hopes of maintaining a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma could climb back into the top 10 of the AP Top 25. West Virginia shouldn't see much of a drop.
Oklahoma hosts No. 13 Texas on Tuesday.
West Virginia plays at Texas on Feb. 20. The Mountaineers have won four consecutive conference road games. Games next Monday and Thursday against No. 2 Baylor were postponed because of COVID-19 issues with the Bears.


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Before taking action to replicate and implement one or more of the models of care described in this manual to engage hard-to-reach populations into care, providers are asked to review the following list of issues and concerns:
- What are the agency's clinical measures and how does it define being engaged in HIV care? Are these different from those used by their colleagues at other local agencies? Are they consistent with those set forth by HRSA? Are their activities aligned with the goals of the NHAS?
- Self-reporting. Providers may need to question how much they can trust self-reports regarding HIV care reported by clients. Some clients may define " being in care" as visiting a doctor several years before, while others would consider themselves " out of care" in that situation.
- Data disconnect. HIV providers often collect data differently. Some still use paper records, while others create unique EMRs for each patient that can be updated through secure online portals. Relatively few patients have the ability to share patient information online due to limitations on their electronic data infrastructures and concerns for client privacy. For these reasons, clients may seek care from different clinics without the providers' knowledge.
- Readiness and health status. Research suggests that regardless of the intervention, the success of PLWHA in care depends in large part on whether or not they are already ill, and if they are willing to engage in HIV care.
- Provider relationships and adaptability. Is your agency ready to engage in new approaches to care? If you work with partners, are you able to accommodate their requests? If you do not offer services, can you refer clients to colocated or nearby ancillary care and support services, such as transportation, dental care, and mental health?
- Skill sets. Does your staff have the training necessary to engage in new approaches to care? Does your site have the capacity to train staff? Does the model you are selecting really fit the needs of your clients?
- Are you really able to reach the population(s) you wish to target? If you and your staff find you are unable to engage your original target population, do you have a contingency plan?
- Is your agency ready to receive vulnerable PLWHA? Is it in a discrete location? Is the facility inviting and the staff linguistically and culturally competent? Are you able to secure patient privacy in the waiting room by conducting universal screenings for stigmatizing conditions, such as HIV, mental illness, and SUDs? Does your agency's workflow allow it to be responsive to patients' needs and ensure shorter wait times and longer visits with providers?
- Do you have the infrastructure to track patients and easily update their EMRs? Is it set up to flag clinicians when appointments, blood work, and tests are required? Can it track patients across inpatient/ outpatient settings, agencies, and States/borders to avoid duplicating services and losing them to care?
- Do you listen to your patients? Does your clinic incorporate input from PLWHA representatives on HIV Planning Councils and other public bodies?
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On August 15, 1998 the town of Omagh, Northern Ireland was rocked by a devastating attack. With a threatening call to the local news agency, the RUD (Royal Ulster Constabulary) arrived on the scene and sectioned off the courthouse area that the threat was supposedly targeting. Little did they realize that the Real IRA had planted a car bomb further down on Market Street and in the blink of an eye killed 29 people and injured over 200. This tragedy wounded the community and together they fought for civil suits and to see the people responsible brought to justice, but it wasn't until years later that the actual people responsible were captured.
Six years after the bombing a made for TV movie was broadcast by Irish state broadcaster RTÉ and UK network Channel 4. The film took a somber look at the attack, how it ripped families apart and the ensuing communal struggle for justice. It may seem disrespectful at first to see such a picture being made so shortly after the horrific event, but it has been made with such care and reverence that it comes across as an emotional tribute instead of an attempt to capitalize. Here in America, we are somewhat distanced to threats from groups like the IRA, but in parts Ireland it's a part of life. If you're the type of person who has only experienced these things through the world news broadcast, it's important to sit through and watch the emotional aftermath that this movie conveys.
The film focuses on the Gallagher family from start to finish, though there are several other secondary and key characters. On the fateful day of the bombing, Michael (Gerard McSorley) and his son Aiden (Paul Kelly) are working at their garage, but when one of his son's friends come along. Michael allows him to leave work and go into town to do some shopping, but this proved to be a fateful decision because his son gets caught up in the blast. When Michael hears of the attack the film takes a riveting and emotional tour of the devastation and hospitals as he franticly searches for his son. He is behaving out of hope and denial though and eventually his worst fears are realized when he finds out that Aiden was killed in the attack.
Following the family through the aftermath is a gut wrenching experience and one that is captured fantastically in the scope of emotional despair. As with most things like this, emotional tragedy eventually leads to anger and wanting to see those responsible brought to justice. With that in mind the victim's families of Omagh join forces to bring out the corruption and names of the Real IRA. It eventually leads to many more hardships for the Gallagher family, but in Michael's eyes is a necessary step at finding closure for Aiden's death.
Omagh proves to be an eye opening drama that is well written and thought out. I can't attest for how historically accurate the depiction is, but it is an emotionally portrayed tale that is well acted and from what I've researched, is factual for the most part. Made for TV movies tend to be easily passed over, but this one is worth taking a look at, especially if you know anybody from the region that this attack took place. I suppose it's morbid in a way, making a film about the event, but the story itself is emotionally driven and heartfelt.
Omagh is presented with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Being a made for TV movie the quality is not as good as if it had a higher budget, but even so it is still very acceptable. The image does however feature a decent amount of grain, speckle, edge enhancement and an occasional frame stutter. The color palette has been washed out slightly and the film uses dramatic lighting to get across some emotional points. The movie also uses a non-steady camera that constantly moves, which helps increase the tension in many scenes. Overall the film looks good on DVD, though it's nothing that will take your breath away or get super high marks for quality.
With a 2.0 English Stereo track, Omagh is a little more subdued than most films, but judging it from its television roots, it sounds very good. I didn't really notice any dropout or distortion at any time, though at points the dialogue is very soft. The disc also comes with optional English subtitles that really come in handy, especially if you're not used to listening to thick Irish accents (like me). The film also makes some good use of somber music and includes a song near the end of the picture that was performed at the memorial of the Omagh bombing.
Apart from some trailers and some production notes if you utilize the DVD-ROM on your PC there isn't anything else on the disc that resembles bonus material. It's unfortunate because with a film like this that is based off of a true event it would have been nice to have had more information on the material.
One part documentary and one part drama, Omagh is a memorable film that is well acted and emotional. The plight of the citizens of the quaint Northern Ireland town has been captured here in seemingly every detail, though no matter how realistic a picture is, it can't capture the scope of the attack or how it truly affected the victim's families. The disc features some acceptable visual and aural quality but they aren't anything that will make an impression on you. Overall though, the film is powerful enough to warrant a recommendation on the DVD. Recommended
Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!
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Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #546
an issue of Amazing Spider-Man (1999) by Marvel Comics
This is it, Arachnophiles!!!! Prepare for what promises to be the most pulse-pounding piece of four color fiction to be delivered unto the Mighty Marvel Minions in decades! You asked for more Spidey! You demanded it! And, by Buckley, you're gonna get it! After the devastatingly heartwarming events of ONE MORE DAY, Peter Parker puts the past behind him and sets forth on a BRAND NEW DAY! Starting with Amazing Spider-Man #546, you now have THREE times the action! THREE times the villains! THREE times the danger! Amazing Spider-Man – Now 3 times every month! Bank on it, buck-o! And if that weren't enough: ASM #546 goes double-sized to bring you back-up features that introduce you to the new players in the lives of Peter and his family!
Rated A


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Get the facts on diseases, conditions, tests and procedures.
Many allergies require clinical care by a physician or other health care professional. Listed in the directory below are some of the allergens that cause allergic reactions, for which we have provided a brief overview.
Chemical Sensitivity
Dust and Dust Mites
Egg Allergy Diet
Diet for Lactose Intolerance
Milk Allergy Diet
Peanut Allergy Diet
Shellfish Allergy Diet
Soy Allergy Diet
Tree Nut Allergy Diet
Wheat Allergy Diet
Insect Stings
Poison Ivy / Poison Oak


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In 2005, director Steven Soderbergh released a small indie movie called "Bubble." The film was executive produced by billionaire Mark Cuban, who heralded it as the future of the filmmaking business. What was different about "Bubble" was that it was released in theaters, on DVD, and on pay-per-view all on the same day. It was Cuban's belief that the traditional system of releasing a movie in theaters, then releasing it on DVD four months later, then going to pay-per-view a month after that would soon be a thing of the past. An on-demand world would see to the end of movies playing exclusively in theaters.
Cut to 2009. DVD sales are waning, and another film, "Avatar," has come to supposedly change movies forever. But the promise of "Avatar," which unlike "Bubble" cost roughly $400 trillion, is the exact OPPOSITE of what Cuban predicted. Instead of collapsing the old rollout model for movies, "Avatar" could end up extending it indefinitely.
Already, those who have seen "Avatar" are calling it one of the most immersive movie-going experiences ever, due to its deployment of 3D and motion capture technology. You don't need to see "Avatar" to know that 3D is slowly taking over your local multiplex. Notable movies like "Monsters vs. Aliens" have already been released to theaters and designed specifically to be watched in 3D.
If you've seen a movie in digital 3D lately, you know it's something to behold. I saw "Coraline" in 3D earlier this year (I took my three-year-old, which makes me a horrible person), and the difference was obvious. Unlike old 3D techniques, in which certain things in the movie reached out into the audience, the new style of 3D allows the viewer to see deeper INTO the film. When Coraline opens a door and a paper tunnel extends in front of her, the 3D effect makes that tunnel feel like it's really there, extending out in front of you and into the distance.
That's the potential of 3D. It turns the movie screen into a diorama: a window that allows you to view a world that has, to the eye, the same depth as the world outside your door. It's almost as if the movie you're watching is taking place on a stage.
And THAT feeling is what may have the movie industry jumping for joy in a time of economic hardship. A movie experience like "Coraline" in 3D, or "Avatar" in 3D on a giant IMAX screen, cannot be duplicated at home, unless you are rich, which no American is anymore. You HAVE to get up and go see "Avatar" at the theater if you really want to SEE it. Seeing James Cameron's movie in 2D at home on your TV (or a digital copy you stole online and watched on your laptop) means you aren't watching the same movie. And most people are probably willing to pay the difference.
After all, going to a movie is still much cheaper than going to a Broadway show. A movie like "Avatar" could, in theory, play in 3D theaters for an incredibly long run, into March and beyond (the last movie to do that was, of course, "Titanic"). Rather than collapse the DVD release process, you could make the case that something like "Avatar" should NEVER released in a home-viewing format. Why, the film could have its OWN theaters! There could be groupies who make the pilgrimage to see it every year! YOU COULD TAKE YOUR GERMAN AUNT WHEN SHE COMES TO TOWN!
So, a scant four years after little "Bubble" was supposed to rock Hollywood, the film industry may have just found a solution that keeps them in business, and keeps people going to theaters, for a very, very long time.
(NOTE: Last week I speculated that "Avatar" could be one of history's biggest flops. I regret the massive error. That movie is going to crush all in its path.)


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Turn Ya Savage Up Planner Dashboards For TN's and Travelers Notebook Ringbound Planner V350
Turn Ya Savage Up Planner Dashboards For TN's and Travelers Notebook Ringbound Planner V350
This dashboard is perfect for adding a bit of cuteness to any planner!
Micro - Fits Inserts 3" x 4"
Passport - Fits Inserts 3.4" x 4.9"
Pocket - Fits Inserts 3.5" x 5.5"
Pocket Ringbound - Fits Inserts 3.25" x 4.75"
A6 - Fits Inserts 4"x6"
A6 Ringbound - Fits Inserts 4.1"x5.8"
Personal - Fits Travelers Notebook with Inserts 3.75" x 6.75" Folded 7.5" x 6.75 Unfolded
Personal Ringbound - Fits Inserts 3.75"x6.75"
Personal Wide Ringbound - Fits Inserts 4.75"x6.75"
B6 - Fits Inserts 5" x 7"
B6 Slim - Fits Inserts 4.25" x 7"
Regular - Fits Inserts 4.5" x 8.25"
Wide - Fits Inserts 5" x 8.25"
A5 Ringbound - Fits Inserts 5.83" x 8.27"
A5 Wide Ringbound - Fits Inserts 7" x 8.6"
Happy Planner Classic - Fits Inserts 6.9" x 9.25
Happy Planner Mini - Fits Inserts 4.49" x 7"
Letter - 8.5" x 11" (will have a white border around edge and UnPunched)
Half Letter - 5.5" x 8.5"
♥ You will receive 1 Vellum Dashboard
You can order multiple sets and we do NOT charge extra postage for each additional. They are perfectly sized to fit in all sizes of TN's including Foxy Fix, Chic Sparrow and Midori Travelers Notebooks!
* Printed colors will vary from what you see on a computer monitor as well as the paper type chosen. Colors appear more vibrant on glossy paper as it behaves more like photo paper for color saturation.
Thank you for visiting Planner Press Planner Stickers. Copyright: Planner Press Stickers are for personal use only - The place for all of your planner sticker needs.
Materials: dashboards, vellum, acetate.


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Revel Systems, a creator of iPad point-of-sale (POS) solutions for restaurant, grocery, and retail business establishments, announced Revel 2.0.
The updated version touts several new user features with a strong focus on security updates to build out its merchant protection suite, including the first-ever photo confirmation anti-identity theft protection built directly into the POS.
With Revel's patent-pending new identity theft protection feature, an image of the credit card holder appears on the screen every time a card is swiped through the Revel iPad POS system, giving merchants and customers alike a greater sense of protection than ever before.
"At Revel we spend a lot of our time thinking about and trying to stay one step ahead of security for mobile point-of-sale transactions, while keeping ease of use front and center," says Chris Ciabarra, Revel's chief technology officer and cofounder, who has a background in IT credit card security.
"For this important update, the team laid out all possible security issues for our customers," he adds. "Concentrating on credit card fraud—both current and forward thinking into future scenarios—we built onto the advancements that have been made for chip-and-PIN, CVV codes, and PCI compliance to add a brand new component that utilizes the power of the cloud and social Web to pull the most obvious anti-identity theft tool out there: your face."
While anti-fraud and anti-theft features are becoming more commonplace for POS systems, anti-identity theft has proven to be a more difficult task to integrate into systems until now.
Stolen, fake, or fraudulent cards have been difficult to flag at the actual POS device, since systems have not had a way to visually recognize a consumer. Revel's in-system facial confirmation feature changes this, and the secret goes back to the same social and cloud-based aspects of the Revel POS that originally put its technology on the map.
Like the other features of the Revel iPad POS, this photo security technology is simple to use. At the time of sale, the employee takes and swipes the credit card. At that point, the Revel iPad POS will pull the customer's photo from their Revel account, which can easily be created through online Facebook integration.
The POS will then check for visual verification and prompt the employee to verify that the picture shown matches the person using the credit card, consequently removing any threat of stolen PIN codes or cards, while at the same time providing a simple form of identity verification.
In addition to the security feature enhancements to Revel 2.0, additional updates include:
· New AES 256 Encryption code for Infinite Peripherals card swipes
· Mobile Device Management through partnership with Moki Mobility to allow for remote iPad management, including the ability to lock down lost or stolen iPads and data
· Catering tracking orders and calendar
· Delivery tracking and driver and production analytics, including average prep time, average driver times, and detailed delivery order information
· Purchase order (PO) inventory tracking system with advanced inventory and shipment receiving
· SumUp integration payments for U.K. and Europe
· Updated retail item selection features, including the ability to select size and color of specific items, which will be reflected in the item's photo
· Label printer from iPad for jewelry printing and ticket printing


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Follow Beth Healey, a 28-year-old medical doctor from London, through her 14-months at the Concordia Station ending in January 2016 as a European Space Station researcher. Here is an excerpt from her blog and a link to Part 5: Chronicles from Concordia.
One of the most hostile environments for an analog is Concordia located more than 600 miles from the coastal stations of Antarctica. Many researchers use this facility to study psychology, physiology, and medicine. Some mission crewmembers perform a winter-over where they are part of research lasting the entire winter, which in Antarctica is nine months.
Looking up towards such a plethora of stars – many of them with planets of their own we know today – I could not help wondering what worlds might be out there, and whether there could be anyone or anything looking back in our direction. It felt strange and exciting to run experiments preparing for humans to stay on moons and planets, with the Milky Way in all its vastness and splendor right above our heads. Would humankind one day even take that real step to the stars and travel beyond our Solar System?
We did not see the sun for 105 days at Concordia during this polar night. Much like me, I am sure everyone was affected, but the crew reacted in different ways and people were affected more at different times. It was difficult to predict how people would feel and behave on different days.


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Beauty in Education
Thursday 9 September 2010
The Sea, the Sea
Golden Wave, by Piers Browne
What is it about the seaside? Is there anyone who does not feel liberated and uplifted by standing on the shore and looking out to sea? Feet planted on the rocks, gazing at the living waters, breathing the charged air, seeing the horizon-line where the sea meets the sky... just add a bonfire, or stars overhead, and all the archetypal elements are represented - as though we were present at the creation of the world. Piers Browne's paintings at
Art Jericho
in September captured this experience, and particularly the beautiful radiance of light on the ocean; evoking not just the origins of the mundane world but somehow the promise of paradise on earth. I suspect this is the effect that Monet was seeking in his exploration of waterlilies and haystacks and the canals of Venice - the intuition of an eternal heaven glimpsed in the transient effects of sunshine on air and water.
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Our library features many hundreds of entries.
To search among them, click "Search" below to pull down options, including filtering by document type, author, year, and keyword.
Find these options under "Show only items where." Or you can also sort by author, title, type, and year clicking the headings below.
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Assessment Framework as a Tool for Integrating and Communicating Watershed Health Indicators for the San Francisco Estuary. SFEI Contribution No. 634. San Francisco Estuary Institute: Oakland, CA.
2011. (2.14 MB)Report of Science Advisors: Solano County Natural Community Conservation Plan Habitat Conservation Plan. SFEI Contribution No. 272.


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Listening to music on the smartphone or tablet by one touch (CMT-BT80W/BT80WB/BT60/BT60B)
By touching the system with an NFC-compatible smartphone(*), the system is turned on in automatically, and then proceeds to complete pairing and the Bluetooth connection automatically.
* Although only smartphones are mentioned in the descriptions, the description applies also to tablets.
- Touch the smartphone on the N-Mark of the unit until the smartphone vibrates or plays a short sound.
Unlock the screen of the smartphone beforehand.
Follow the on-screen instructions displayed on the smartphone to complete the connection.
- Start playback on the smartphone.
- Refer to the manual of the smartphone for the designated location to be touched on the smartphone.
- If pairing and the Bluetooth connection fail, do the following.
- Turn on the NFC function or activate "NFC Easy Connect" on the smartphone (if installed), and then move the smartphone slowly over the N-Mark.
- Remove the case from the smartphone if using a commercially available smartphone case.


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Pulled pork is definitely up there as one of my favourite foods and the other day when I was enjoying some char siu, a Chinese BBQ or roast pork, I thought that the char siu flavours would be amazing on pulled pork! Char siu sauce is primarily hoisin sauce and Chinese five spice with some staples like soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger thrown in. I wanted it to be a bit more like a BBQ sauce which needs some heat so sriracha was required! When I was thinking about what I was going to use the pulled pork in, sliders were the first thing that came to mind and pulled pork sliders just scream for some slaw. With the Asian flavours going on, my mind wandered to pineapple and I figured that the juicy, sweet and tangy pineapple would pair perfectly with the rich and spicy BBQ pork. Of course adding some pineapple juice to the char siu BBQ sauce would also help tenderize the meat! Next up was what kind of buns to use for the sliders and King's Hawaiian sweet rolls were a perfect fit as their sweetness would complement the char siu BBQ pork and the tangy pineapple nicely! I have to say the the char siu pulled pork works really well and these pineapple char siu pulled pork sliders were definitely a hit!
Throwing an Oscar's party this weekend? These would be perfect for it!
Just look at how nice and juicy and tender that pork is!
These sliders can be a little messy but they are so worth it!
Pineapple Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders
All of the flavours of char siu (Chinese roast pork) in pulled pork sliders in King's Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Rolls with pineapple and slaw; the perfect combination of sweet and savoury with an exotic twist.
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 tablespoon garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce (such as samba oelek or sriracha) or to taste
- 1 (3 pound) pork butt or shoulder
- 2 cups pineapple, cut into small pieces
- 4 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 12 King's Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, halves and toasted or grilled
- 12 chunks pineapple
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
For the pineapple char siu pulled pork:
For the simple 'slaw':
For the sliders:
- Mix all of the ingredients up to the pork butt, place the pork butt into the slow cooker, top with half of the sauce and the pineapple and cook on low of 8+ hours.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker, trim the fat, shred the pork and mix in the remaining sauce and enough of the juices from the slow cooker to make the pulled pork nice and juicy.
- Mix everything.
- Top the bottom buns with the pineapple chunks followed by the pulled pork, slaw, green onions and the tops of the buns and enjoy!
For the pineapple char siu pulled pork:
For the simple 'slaw':
For the sliders:
Char Siu
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Slaw
Salsa Verde Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese
Slow Cooker Roast Beef French Dip Sandwich
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken
Sweet and Sour Pork
Slow Cooker Roast Beef Philly Cheesesteak French Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Pot Roast Grilled Cheese French Dip Sandwich with Spicy Miso Au Jus
White BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Pork Adobo Burritos
20 Minute Skinny Sesame Chicken
Sesame Chicken
General Tso's Chicken
BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese


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The city council of a Midwestern town announced the date for the long-awaited and controversial meeting. The council would consider the constitutionality of beginning its sessions with prayer. When that night arrived, the chamber was packed with politically-active Christians.
After the loud and spirited debate, the council moved on to other issues: parks, schools, street repairs and benevolent programs. Immediately, there was a thundering stampede for the exits. The obvious conclusion: many Christians are interested in religious symbolism, but not the hard work of building community.
Few issues reveal our "eye sight'" like government and politics. Everything we do flows from the way we see authority.
Which Government Do You See?
When the Bible speaks of the "kingdom'" of God, it means the realm of God's authority; "kingdom'" is a synonym for "government.'"
Because many Christians are so focused on civil government, they completely miss the greater power and reach of God's dominion. That causes them to walk in a sense of overwrought responsibility. And, that leads to fear, anger and antagonism toward perceived threats.
That is simply not a biblical posture.
Consider the story of a Syrian king's attempt to capture Elisha (whom he obviously regarded as a representative of God's government). One morning at dawn, Elisha's servant walked outside and saw that their camp was completely encircled by the Syrian army. Clearly disturbed and afraid, he quickly woke Elisha with this alarming news.
The old prophet rolled over and essentially said to the young man, "So what? Our army is larger and stronger than theirs.'" And, then Elisha (probably as he turned to go back to sleep) said to God, "O Lord, open his eyes that he may see.'" Instantly, the servant saw that the surrounding mountains were full of awesome military forces – made of flames![1]
That blazing army was very real and it had been there the whole time. It was not a convenient apparition. Perhaps Elisha saw it often. At the very least, he knew that God's government was infinitely larger and more powerful than any political realm on earth.
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul referred to Jesus being revealed with his fiery angels. What does it tell you about God's government that the personnel and hardware components of His military are, apparently, in continuous fireball?
Beyond Reaction
Elisha walked in the clear confidence of superior strength. When we really "see'" the reality of God's boundless authority, we will walk on the earth in strength and courage – not arrogance or audacity – toward all the lesser realms.
But, when we feel threatened by political power centers and social issues, we become reactionary and dangerously antagonistic. Many fall in battle simply because of their pointless hostility and foolish aggression.
Again, consider the saga of Elisha and the Syrian army. After wisely gaining the military advantage, he dealt gently with the soldiers themselves. He also spared their lives and released them to go back to their own king and country.
Because he could clearly "see'" the competing realms of authority and their respective strengths, he was free to think rationally and objectively (even ignoring the famous precedents for killing everyone).
Elisha seemed more interested in building long-term stability and peace of Israel than he was in striking a reactionary blow "for God.'"
When we see a God too small, we see a world too threatening. Conversely, great strength and confidence release great grace.
Builders and Destroyers
The ancient prophet Zechariah once described a struggle between the "horns'" and the "craftsmen.'" The horns (think: wild bulls) snort, ripple their muscles and paw the ground. They bellow and impale victims on their horns and toss them around. Their purpose is simply to terrify, disrupt and scatter.
The bulls are subdued, not by bigger bulls and not by matadors, but by craftsmen. These artisans, perhaps carpenters, eventually drive the bulls away through the quiet and steady rhythms of wisdom and excellence; quality trumps decibels and commotion.
Zechariah could see the sound and fury which agitate and destabilize society as well as the consistent, often unnoticed, craftsmanship which forges community.
Let me be clear: I believe Christian believers should work for the issues, the causes and even the political races which they care about.
But, that work should be carried out in confidence in God and grace toward all. People are not our enemies. When I worked in Washington, D.C., I knew several Democrats and Republicans who were deeply committed Christians. They could passionately argue their positions in the Senate and House chambers (sometimes even against each other), and then get together with those same "adversaries'" for meals, ball games and Bible studies.
Shouldn't we all work to maintain that kind of integrity and peace with everyone? Should that include those who stand in opposition to what we believe?
Sadly, too much of Christian culture is now just another corral of "horns'" in our very polarized and raucous society. Christians are so often reduced to gaudy and loud components of the combat which is so riveting on television (that's why football and other sports work so well on TV). Media reps call Christian leaders for statements or interviews and they fall right into their framework, their technology and their marketing strategy.
Yes, of course, Christian values are threatened today. And, yes, we should be courageous in standing for what we cherish. But, perhaps the best response to the encroachment is not anger and reaction, but rather serious and long-term craftsmanship.
After all, the prophet Isaiah said of the coming Christ, "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.[3]'"
How Do You See Politics?
What do you see in, assume about and expect from politics?
Do you believe political parties are mills of truth? Can righteousness be enforced through government and politics? Should we enter political battles in order to protect God?
Politics has never been about truth or righteousness; it is about compromise and consensus. At best, it is only the means by which conflicting positions are zippered into some kind of governmental policy or process.
For that reason, shouldn't our investment in political action be carried out with our eyes on the prize of our higher and nobler calling?
The more we clearly see the real issues and the real power, the more we will be free to walk through politics and government as "secret agents'" of another government. We will come into a better understanding of our job as "equal opportunity subversives'" – helping men and women, young and old, liberals and conservatives, capitalists and communists and members of every "tribe, tongue, people, and nation'" to find joyful sanctuary in God's government.
If we can get our vision corrected, then we can pass through the great churning debates of our time with a compelling and majestic mission of reconciliation.
Life's higher call always precede and outlast politics.
We can all respond to the call – even in the midst of presidential campaigns.
Ed Chinn is an organizational consultant and freelance writer from Fort Worth, Texas (firstname.lastname@example.com). His work has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, OpinionJournal.com, and the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
[1] II Kings 6: 8 – 23
[2] Zechariah 1: 18 – 21
[3] Isaiah 42:2
[4] Revelation 5:9
© 2010 Ed Chinn. All rights reserved.


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Written by Anne-Marie Robles, Review and Translations Program Intern
Silole Sanamwala, a wheat farmer in Narok, Kenya, with her children Ruth and Alex.
- Kiva Field Partner since: May 2009
- Loans through Kiva: $1,651,775
- Number of entrepreneurs assisted through Kiva: 3,373
- Focus: Micro and small business loan products for rural entrepreneurs
Kenya Agency for Development of Enterprise and Technology (KADET) was started in 2000 by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and impoverished communities worldwide. World Vision began working in Kenya in 1973. By the early 1980s their programs included agriculture, nutrition, education, water projects, medicine and flood relief. World Vision's goal is to deliver access to financial services and economic development throughout Kenya, particularly the rural areas where half of the country's population resides.
Varied entrepreneurs
KADET has 11 branches and 39 offices in Kenya and their clients' economic activity varies across the country's regions. In Narok and El Doret (in the South and North Rift Valley), wheat and corn farming is very common. In urban areas like Nairobi and Mombasa services and retail, such as barber shops, kiosks, and market stalls, are major business types. In the Central region and Naivasha most clients are farmers, raising rabbits or running greenhouses while in Kisumu in the Western part of Kenya fishing is the dominant industry and many clients are fishermen or work in supporting industries like restaurants, transportation, and selling fishing equipment.
Lilian Syonzia, a vegetable seller in Matuu, Kenya, with her daughter Ruth.
"Big house" group lending
Loan recipients of KADET are divided into groups. A large group of 15-30 independent entrepreneurs, known as the Jumba or "a big house" in Swahili, is formed. The large group is also subdivided into three to six groups of five entrepreneurs, referred to as the Nyumba meaning "a room in a house". The Nyumba is the first guarantor of the loan and they exert pressure on the other members to pay. All members are also required to save 20% of the amount of the loan in a loan security fund. KADET facilitates the formation of groups by holding community meetings and marketing events. Group leaders go through training on group management before their loans are disbursed and KADET offers trainings once per year per branch to group leaders.
A spiritual influence
While they are open about being Christian, KADET's lending methodology is not directly affected by their religious affiliation. Roughly 75% of Kenyans identify as Christian so it is not unusual for groups to start and end their loan meetings with a prayer, but that is for the group to decide. KADET does limit their lending to exclude businesses that are perceived to have a negative social impact, like bars.
Margaret Kisato with her kale in Vihiga, Kenya.
World Vision in Kenya
KADET believes that helping clients in rural areas has a stronger effect on communities – helping an entrepreneur access capital in a rural area keeps that person from moving to a city, where there may not be a job anyway, and also employs others in the community. Currently, agricultural loans make up 30% of KADET's lending portfolio.
To lend to a KADET borrower like Silole, visit their lender page!
Photo provided by Tara Capsuto, Kiva Roaming Fellow KF13, Kenya


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This is the Problem With All Government "Fixes" for Supposed Market Failures
Bob Murphy on occupational licensing, via Cafe Hayek
It is a paradox of our age that the interventionists think the public is too stupid to consult Angie's List before hiring a lawyer, and so they need politicians to weed out the really bad ones by requiring law licenses. Yet, who determines whether a person (often a lawyer!) is qualified to become a politician? Why, the same group of citizens who were too stupid to pick their own lawyers.


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ICICI Bank Jobs 2015 :- Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank has recently opened a job bulletin to fill up 250 posts of Sales Officer by online through the official website www.icicicareers.com. The last date of submission of online application form is 31-Dec-2015.
Eligibility criteria for those candidates who are interested should have completed Graduation in concerned discipline or its equivalent, as educational and essential qualification according to the ICICI Bank Sales Officer Jobs advertisements 2015, from any recognized Board/ University/ Institute of India and the Selection Process is based on the performance of Sales profiler, English language written exam and Personal interview. Candidates minimum age for applying should be 20 years and maximum should be 26 years as on 27-Oct-2015.
Here we are informing you a great opportunity for state government jobs and if you want to work in Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank, then take participation in this competition and also check all necessary information by downloading the notification and fill application form by online not offline process through the official website and our website :- career vendor.com before the last date. The candidates who are selected in the final round will get good and different pay scale per month by post wise according to the advertisement.
NOTE :- For other details like last dates, age limitation, application fee, selection process, online procedure, criteria, pay scale etc. can be found in full notification attached at the end of this article.
ICICI Bank Sales Officer Recruitment 2015:
No. of posts :- 250
Organisation :- Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI).
Job Location :- All over in India.
Sr.no. | Name of the Post | Vacancies |
01. | Sales Officer | 250 |
Age Limit for applying application form 2015:
- Applicant age limit should be 20-26 years as on 27-Oct-2015.
- Age relaxation as per rules by government.
Eligibility Criteria for Jobs 2015:
- Eligible and interested candidates should have passed Graduation in concerned discipline or its equivalent, from any recognized Board/ University/ Institute of India.
This article is published by career vendor.com.
Pay Scale of Posts 2015:
For more details please read full ICICI Bank Sales Officer Jobs recruitment notification 2015.
Selection Process of Recruitment 2015:
Candidates selection is based on the performance of following tests.
- Sales Profiler.
- English Language Written exam.
- Personal interview.
Procedure to apply application form 2015:
- Firstly go to the online ICICI career website :- www.icicicareers.com
- Then download notification and check that you are eligible or not.
- Then fill carefully all the necessary information in the application form.
- Then upload your passport size photo and signature.
- Then click on 'Submit' button.
- After that take a print copy for future use.
Important Dates for Posts 2015:
- Last date of receipt of application form is 31-Dec-2015 till 05.00 PM.
Important Links:
- Apply online :- Click Here
- Official Website :- www.icicibank.com
- Career Website :- www.icicicareers.com
- Official Notification :- Download Here
Candidates are advised that please read the ICICI Bank Notification 2015 carefully before apply for application form 2015. For more details like Latest Govt. Jobs results 2015, latest Governments jobs, admit card, Notifications and answer keys please check this website career vendor.com regularly and time to time. If you want book mark this page then press Ctrl+D. Candidates are advised that please read the official advertisement carefully before apply application form 2015.


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Me, in WinInfo:
For Windows Vista SP1, the RC1 release brings no major changes, but does include a number of feedback-related enhancements. For example, SP1 RC1 requires far less free disk space during installation, and provides more guidance about the update earlier in the installation process. Microsoft is shipping SP1 RC1 to testers today, and to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on Thursday. Next week, the company will make the release available to the public via a Web download or, optionally, Windows Update.
Obviously, I'll be writing up something for the SuperSite later in the week.
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I've been doing more travel recently. And I can in all honesty say that there is plenty of room left for improving customer experience in the travel industry — airlines, hotels, car services, even airports. Since there is no guaranteed security, we should stop pretending that if we treat people poorly, all will be well.
It would be an excellent idea to have service personnel at all of these companies, yes even government employees, go ahead and experience a normal day of travel as a regular person, someone without the special privileges of not having to be screened, or not having to wait in line, etc.
What does it look like? That experiment alone would help fix many issues. I bet they would not like their own treatment very much.
There is a disconnect between what companies think they deliver, and what they actually do. Just like in the travel safety department, the disconnect is in perception. Yet, customer experience is more important than ever. More and more people are voting with their wallets.
Looking at customer complaints is not enough
Complaints are symptoms, and they will lead organizations down the reactive path every single time. Plus, only 2% of the population — or even less — bothers to say something, anything. In my experience, most frequent travelers, to stay with the example in this post, learn to hack the system for themselves.
Which leaves the rest of the customer base with the habits of a very select few to live with, and the business with a false picture of what customers experience. I wish ticket agents actually did measure the size of some of those carry ons.
The other day, I was watching a group of what looked like seasoned business travelers literally hedging an older lady and a family with young ones to push their way into an early boarding for fear of not being able to fit their large carry on bags on the flight.
Yep, it was even more ironic they looked fit and well to do. More line backers than travelers. Had I taken a picture, it would have looked like any board of directors in composition. What was the experience for the rest of the travelers?
Many just won't go back after a bad experience, and they will tell their whole circle of friends and family.
Designing the customer experience
It needs to be a proactive activity and drive to wanting to make it a positive one. As Chris Elliott described in his post, there is a rare exception.
Virgin America is unashamedly retro, when if comes to service. Don't look for solemn-faced ticket agents trying to make their weekly quota of luggage fees. They've been replaced by helpful employees with real-looking smiles. The flight attendants seem genuinely happy to be there, a sharp contrast to the tired counterparts at some of the more established carriers.
The image you see in this post [hat tip Beth Harte] highlights two important points for a make or break situation with customer experience:
- companies do have the control over those instances that can make or break customer loyalty
- and they do know what data they need to either collect or connect and when
So, as the chart suggests, the fundamental questions marketers and customer service groups need to work on are:
- how can we make this a positive experience?
- what can we do to make sure consumers come back time and time over?
- where do we need data to help deliver the experience?
In some instances, the company may already have the answers, in others it may need to rethink the way it operates and communicates in order to collect them. However, I'd say that the main difficulty many organizations have is with knowing to ask the right questions — or, in some instances, wanting to do so.
Loyalty programs circa 1990 are quite broken. There is no amount of points you could give a customer who has had a horrible experience to go back to the same brand or organization. At best, you may get them to use the coupon or redeem the points if it's easy to get something for free.
However, think about how they are talking about you in the meantime — online, and worse, off line. What stories are they sharing? Situations do come up. How organizations work on designing the customer experience does matter more and more to the business long term prospects in an increasingly interconnected world.
"After all, the customer is not stupid. She is your mother, your sister or your wife," to paraphrase Mr. David Ogilvy.
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The sprawling and stylish house that we are about to explore today in Germany, combines the essence of Bavarian tradition with pre-Alpine style architecture for a picturesque look and feel. The combination of wood and white prevails both on the outside as well as the inside of this residence. Built with energy-efficient materials and equipped with numerous glass doors and windows, this home makes a minimal carbon footprint. The interiors are contemporary and decked minimally, and come with smart storage solutions. The generous use of white ensures that the house reflects natural light abundantly, and keeps the interiors warm and bright. Let's learn more about this creation by the interior architects at W. Raum Planung + Einrichtung.
The warmth of wood and purity of white come together for the exterior of the house, making it look stylish and inviting. Set amidst lush fields, the home's gardens are protected by quaint country-style fences. Pretty windows open up to nature and fresh air, while the interior lights shine through for a soothing look.
A rustic and cosy seating arrangement on the side of the house allows the inhabitants to enjoy outdoor air and soak in the beauty of verdant green fields. The red umbrella adds a dash of fun to the setting.
Spotless white walls, minimalistic furniture, and sleek touches of light-hued wood make the living space cosy and charming. A tall glass window brings in tons of light, while the window seat is perfect for lazing around with a book. The living space opens up to the mezzanine, and hence enjoys the airy feeling that double heights bring. Rustic candle-stands, a deer head, and a bold red rug add pizzazz here.
The staircase leading to the cellar is a sleek and tidy affair with neat light wooden steps and a trim wrought iron railing. It creates a subtle style statement against the white wall, while the striped carpeting lends vibrancy to the space.
White walls, an elegant grey floor, and multiple windows make the kitchen bright, welcoming and cosy. The storage units are modern, wooden and practical in nature, while the colourful chairs add a hint of fun to the space. The breakfast nook sits on a faux fur rug and is right next to a large window overlooking the outdoors.
The master bedroom with its plush textiles and sleek furniture occupy the attic, and is secured by a neat iron railing. A smooth chest of drawers and a smart workstation take care of practical needs here.
Modern furniture, sensible and bright lighting, lots of space and a neutral colour palette make the home office a very productive zone. Though it is in the basement, a light shaft created right outside brings in tons of sunlight through the massive glass doors.
Sleek designs, smart in-built closets and the union of white and light wood make the kid's room playful and bright. The closets are built into the fun staircase that leads to the sleeping area at the top.
This bright and spacious bathroom is a scenic space for rejuvenation, thanks to the large window offering a verdant view of the outdoors. Smooth white surfaces, trendy sanitary fixtures, a large mirror and soothing lights contribute to the glamorous feel here. And a neat wooden bench with storage space for towels adds warmth.
Looking for more inspirations? Take another tour - Get inspired by this beautiful 700 square foot apartment.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Of ICANN and the Registerfly meltdown
What needs to be done
Comment The scorn heaped upon ICANN recently for its laissez faire attitude toward customer allegations of fraud by its accredited registrar Registerfly - a scandal in which ICANN spent the better part of a year repeatedly referring customers back to Registerfly, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of misconduct - has forced ICANN to acknowledge that it is responsible for holding its accredited registrars to certain ethical standards. Well, it's a start.
For those, however, whose domains were lost through either neglect or malfeasance on the part of Registerfly, and whose domains are now occupied by cybersquatters, the loss of a business or personal website formerly hosted by Registerfly still burns.
Although ICANN recently issued an ultimatum to Registerfly, threatening to pull its accreditation unless it resolved its myriad customer service issues within two weeks time, the fact remains that pulling the accreditation of a negligent or possibly even criminal registrar is a merely a prophylactic measure - it may prevent future harm, but does nothing to resolve the property rights of those whose internet based businesses have vanished into cyberspace.
The fact is, Registerfly is not alone, and ICANN needs to develop some kind procedural safeguards to ensure that disputed domains are not inadvertantly auctioned off to the first bidder before this happens again.
Although ICANN rightly claims that allegations of monetary damages due to fraud or negligence need to be addressed by local authorities, the integrity of the domain system itself needs to be protected by ICANN - that, after all, is why ICANN takes a cut of every domain registration fee.
Whether or not local or federal authorities choose to prosecute Registerfly - and the rumors flying indicate that both the FBI and the Secret Service are involved now - jilted customers cannot expect the FBI, for example, just to hand over the control of a domain name that might now be owned by bona fide purchaser on the other side of the world. It's not like stolen silverware or jewelry - the only way for the authorities to return control of the domain would be to get a court order against, um... that group, the one that controls domain registration...oh yeah, ICANN.
At the very minimum, ICANN needs to be proactive here and develop a system for holding disputed domains in trust until the rightful owner can be determined. Even better would be a formal dispute resolution system with investigative power to follow up on serious allegations and nip them in the bud. Mr. Zupke, ICANN's go between with the accredited registrars, cannot police cyberspace alone.
ICANN performs a function in cyberspace somewhat analogous to the hall of records in a local community, organizing and documenting property rights. If ICANN feels that enforcing certain ethical standards on its partners runs counter to its bureaucratic instincts, it could still subcontract out such enforcement to a third party security group, much as it subcontracts out domain registration to groups like Registerfly.
The Registerfly fiasco has laid clear for all to see the inadequacies of the current registrar accreditation system, and the need for reform. There's no time like the present. ®
Burke Hansen, attorney at large, heads a San Francisco law office


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We crawl ~ 14 different hemp stores to find you the best prices when shopping for hemp products.
We are your hemp product search engine!
In 1938, Popular Mechanics magazine called hemp the "Billion-Dollar Crop," and it was for a good reason.
A majority of people are looking towards a green future, where dirty fossil fuels are no longer needed. Fakes such as "clean coal" or natural gas are trying to vie for a greater market-share under the guise of being "clean energy". What it boils down to is that if there was a plant that could provide all of the hydrocarbons we need, then that would be the greenest option. Obtaining your fuel directly from a plant -- it does not get any greener than that!
Hemp oil can be used to make bio-diesel, which will run in any Diesel engine as well even in conventional gasoline engines after a modification. The hydrocarbons that we know how to get from hemp could be used to create ethanol (race fuel) or could even be used a source of hydrogen for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. One plant, producing just about every kind of fuel that we use for transportation.
In general, I feel that people dismiss the fact that millions of people die each year due to malnutrition. While we are busy deciding what restaurant to choose from, people are honestly starving to death. Meanwhile, the possibilities of hemp are being overlooked.
The vegetable oil that can be pressed from hemp seeds contains more essential fatty acids than any other plant. Fatty acids are important to our immune system as well as the heart. The hemp seeds are very high in protein; second only to soybeans. With it's nutritional profile, hempseed is the most complete single food source for humans. Plus, birds love it. Add some hemp seeds in to your bird feeder, and see which seeds they eat first.
Since hemp is arguably the most nutritious food-source known to man, then why isn't it being sold at every single store? What do we see popping up instead? Inferior products like flax seed, hoping to cash in on the Omega-craze.
Apologies for tugging at your heart-strings back there, but it is just ridiculous that hemp is being restricted from commerce. What should the hungry eat? Corn products? Please... Most of the corn grown in the United States is inedible anyway.
Hemp grows in just about any climate, and fast. Really fast. A hemp plant can grow over twenty feet in one growing season. The efficiency with which the hemp leaves capture the Sun's energy and make use of it, puts hemp at the top of the list of most developed plant species. This tremendous growth-rate, makes hemp an excellent source of fiber that can be used as any other plant fiber, such as for making composite wood, textiles and paper. Why cut down a tree that has been growing for decades when you could just use hemp?
With heights extending past twenty feet, the hemp plant needs a sturdy root system. This makes hemp and ideal plant to use to combat desertification, where grasses and small plants fight a losing battle to expanding deserts.


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Tuesday 13 September 2011
Daylight on Iron Mountain by David Wingrove
Daylight on Iron Mountain is the second novel in David Wingrove's 'recasting' of his epic Chung Kuo series, which is now planned to expand across twenty novels. Daylight was originally the closing part of the first book, Son of Heaven, a newly-written prequel novel, but at his editor's suggestion Wingrove pulled out and radically expanded the Daylight segment into a full, 350-page novel. This turns out to have been a masterstroke of an idea: Son of Heaven was effective in a low-key kind of way, but as I said in my review I was concerned that it didn't really seem to be setting the scene for a colossal twenty-book series. Daylight ends such concerns in one fell swoop.
Daylight on Iron Mountain may be (relatively) short on page count but is rammed to overflowing with political intrigue, corporate scheming, desperate struggles for human survival and, in the final section, a mind-boggling war which is vast in scope. One storyline follows the political infighting as the Seven (Ch'ung's key advisors) realise how unstable their leader has become and debate what is to be done, whilst another sees Jake Reed (the main character in the first novel) struggling to survive in the new world of the City. A further subplot sees General Jiang Lai, an honest man in a dishonest world, trying to keep his head above water as enemies gather on all sides.
Wingrove juggles these plots with skill. He doesn't have the page count to indulge them in the way an epic fantasy writer could, so he keeps the storylines moving rapidly and in tandem, flitting from one to another. At times the book feels a little rushed - the concluding conflict feels like it should be unfolding over weeks or months, not just days - but Wingrove doesn't neglect some key scenes of character-building, or employing thematic irony (the epilogue in particular features an element that feels like something out of the Soviet Union, or indeed Chinese Communist history) to hint at greater events to come.
As well as being rather slow, the main criticism that could be aimed at Son of Heaven was that it had a tendency to drift towards stereotyping in its portrayal of the Chinese characters. It's a massive relief that this problem does not exist in Daylight on Iron Mountain. The characters, Chinese or otherwise, are a gallery of heroes, villains, the selfish and the selfless, or people simply trying to survive however they can. Normally cold-hearted lawyers show unexpected compassion, one of the most powerful men on Earth gives way to grief when he pays the ultimate price for victory and generals take time to consider the moral implications of the deaths they are about to cause. Unfortunately, this nuanced approach to characterisation does not extend to the primary 'villain', Tsao Ch'un himself, who is more of a cliched antagonist with a side-line in personally torturing prisoners and smashing up priceless antiques with a baseball bat to show how evil he is.
Beyond this element, Daylight on Iron Mountain improves on Son of Heaven in every single way. There's a larger and far more interesting cast of characters, there's some impressive action and war sequences and there's a relentless drive to the book's pacing as the characters are swept up in the march of history. A few characters (most notably Ch'un) suffer a little from the fast - sometimes rushed - pacing, but overall this is a compelling, page-turning SF epic which leaves the reader eager for more.
Daylight on Iron Mountain (****½) will be published on 1 November 2011 in the UK. There is no American publisher for the series at this time, but copies should be easily available through the Book Depository.
5 comments:
I live in the US and was able to get Son of Heaven on my Kindle through my regular Amazon store. Is there no possibility of getting the sequels the same way?
- 13 September 2011 at 16:54:00 GMT
I would hope the second book improves on the first. That I found to be so tedious in plot, so bland in writing and the hero so dull I wish he had been killed off to generate some interest. I barely made it to the end. Hugely disappointing.
I read the originals when they came out and enjoyed them far more. However, to re-release them now as two books each when the bulk of them were under 500 pages smacks of a cynical money making exercise. It's completely unnecessary. - Ian - 13 September 2011 at 19:31:00 GMT
- Adam Whitehead said...
If SON OF HEAVEN could be purchased for Kindle in the States, I imagine the second book will be as well (in fact, as a relatively smaller publisher it's a smart move by Corvus to open themselves up the US market if that is the case). However, as of a few hours ago when I last checked, Amazon US are not listing the second book yet.
I agree that publishing the books as 10 600-800-page volumes rather than 20 300-400-page books would be preferable from several angles (I've heard people saying they won't read such a huge series, then expressing surprise since the total word-count is still way below that of WHEEL OF TIME or the MALAZAN series). However, my understanding is that Corvus are taking a substantial financial risk with this project and breaking the books down this way minimises their potential losses if things do not go well. From an artistic point of view, combining SON OF HEAVEN and DAYLIGHT ON IRON MOUNTAIN would also not make a huge amount of sense, as the massive mid-book upward shift in pace and incident would be very jarring. Also, apparently the already-written books have been comprehensively re-edited and many to most of them will have new material added (Books 1-2 are brand new, so are the last couple, and the 'old' Book 8 has been completely gutted, rewritten and re-edited), though the extent of this is unclear.
Hopefully, if the series is a mega-success, we might see future omnibus editions in the distant future. It'll also be interesting to see if a US publisher picks up the project and whether they'd want to stick to the twenty-short-books or maybe switch to a ten-longer-ones format. - 13 September 2011 at 22:22:00 GMT
I can understand the reluctance of the publishers to put all their eggs in one basket. But at the end of the day, I have no intention of buying them again (except perhaps an update of the last original volume). Surely by the time you publish four or five volumes, you know whether its selling or not and could revert to the original format. Cheaper too I would have thought. - Ian
- 14 September 2011 at 18:46:00 GMT
Daylight is available now as a Kindle ebook on both Amazon.com and .co.uk...
- 15 October 2011 at 09:08:00 GMT